One of the greatest problems in donor organ transplantation is the storage and preservation of organs between the time of harvest from a donor and the time of transplantation into a recipient. The amount of time that can lapse between the two events is quite limited because the cells and tissues of the donor organ deteriorate over time, even if they are stored at refrigerated temperatures. Once harvested, cells and tissues are deprived of the oxygen that is required to maintain internal metabolism and cell volume integrity. To counteract the ill effects of low oxygen, standard techniques for modem organ preservation involve the exposure of a harvested organ to preservation solutions at cold temperatures not below 0° C. Although colder temperatures are a solution to oxygen deprivation in donor organ tissue, they present their own problems. Cold or hypothermic conditions may lead to cellular damage including a reduced ability to generate energy, maintain cell volume integrity, and also swelling and/or cell death.
A widely used preservation solution is commonly known as University of Wisconsin (UW) solution or Viaspan, which is manufactured by DuPont. However, the preservation of donor organs using Viaspan is generally limited to a 36-hour period in kidneys before the organs begin to deteriorate. For example, if kidneys are perfused with UW solution and packed on ice, surgeons will attempt to use them within 24 hours but not later than 36 hours after harvesting. A principal problem however is that the viability of the donor kidney decreases over time of storage so that by 36 hours there is at least some damage to the tubular cells. This generally results in decreased viability of the kidney cells so that urine production and proper kidney function are delayed after transplant. As a result, artificial kidney function or dialysis is generally required for full recovery of a recipient after transplantation.
Storage of organs at sub-zero temperatures is not possible or extremely difficult because the tissue and water in the organ usually freezes. These relatively lower temperature ranges cause damage or destruction to the cells and tissues. Today there are some solutions currently available for organ storage purposes such as Viaspan, but their capacity to store organs effectively is generally limited. There is a need for improved solutions and methods for effective organ preservation for extended periods of time.